After NRE Step I, PM&DC publishes results on pmdc.pk with detailed marks through the online portal, about three to five weeks after the paper in recent sittings. If you pass, you may register for Step II, the 20-station clinical skills exam, and you must pass it within five years of your theory pass. If you fail, you may re-sit with no cap on attempts. A Step II failure sends you back to Step II only, until three consecutive failures, when you re-sit the whole NRE. Full registration then needs a one-year house job in a council-approved hospital, Basic Life Support certification and the NRE pass, under the PM&DC Registration Regulations 2023.
Results: what to expect and what to do in the first week
PM&DC publishes results on its website. Detailed marks come through the candidate's online portal. In the sittings we looked at the gap was roughly three to five weeks, but PM&DC does not guarantee a date. Check pmdc.pk and your portal rather than relying on forwarded lists, which are often incomplete.
In the first week after results:
- Save your result sheet as a PDF and keep a printed copy. You will need the date of your theory pass for the five-year Step II window.
- If you passed, check the Step II notice immediately. Windows have been about ten days.
- If you failed, look at your domain marks if the portal shows them, then rebuild your baseline. Do not start a new plan until you have had a break of a few days.
- If you think the total is wrong, apply for re-totalling through PM&DC. The syllabus does not describe the process in detail, so follow the notice.
If you passed: Step II
Only candidates who passed the theory component can sit the Clinical Skills Examination. The key facts, all from the 2024 syllabus:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | OSCE-style, 20 stations |
| Timing | 8 minutes per station, 2 minutes changeover, about 3 hours 30 minutes including briefing |
| Disciplines | Medicine 7, Surgery 7, Obstetrics and gynaecology 2, Paediatrics 2, Ophthalmology 1, ENT 1 |
| Pass rule | 60% aggregate and clearance of all three mandatory stations |
| Validity of Step I pass | Five years; Step II must be passed within that window |
| Failure | Re-register for Step II only; after three consecutive failures, re-sit the full NRE |
The full explanation, a six-week preparation plan and recent dates are in the Step II OSCE guide. In January 2026 the portal opened for about ten days before the exam on 24 to 25 January and 31 January to 1 February, and the schedule notice lists a second 2026 session on 28 to 29 November and 5 to 6 December. Confirm all dates with PM&DC.
If you did not pass: what to do next
- Take a week off. Then collect everything: your result sheet, the error log from your preparation, and any domain-level marks.
- Find the cause. Was it knowledge, time management or Pakistan-specific content? Re-sit a timed 100-question baseline. If you scored 55% or less on it, the cause is content; if you scored above 60% on mocks but failed, the cause is probably timing or exam nerves.
- Choose the plan. Use the study plan. After a failed attempt, 12 weeks is the shortest sensible gap unless you were within a few marks.
- Book the next sitting only when your mocks are stable at 65%. A fee spent too early is a fee wasted. See booking and fees.
There is no limit on attempts at the NRE. That removes the pressure of a last chance, but each attempt costs the fee, travel and months. About four candidates in five did not pass in the 2025 sittings, so a failed attempt is common and not a judgement on your ability. See pass rates by country for the figures.
Sit a timed PMDC NRE Step I mock exam
Blueprint-weighted questions under exam timing, then a breakdown of your result by domain.
The route to full registration
The NRE is one gate on the way to a full licence. The order differs depending on whether your university is recognised by PM&DC. The details are in what PM&DC needs from you. The Registration Regulations 2023 set out the common elements.
| Requirement | Rule in the Registration Regulations 2023 |
|---|---|
| Provisional registration | Granted within fourteen days of verification of the foreign qualification by the issuing institution (Regulations 17 and 27(ii)). Apply before house job begins (9A). |
| House job | One year in a council-approved hospital (Regulation 9). House job before provisional registration does not count (12(ii)). |
| Modules | Internal medicine, allied medicine, general surgery and allied surgery, three months each, all compulsory (13). A module under three months is not accepted (14). |
| Training abroad | One year of internship, clinical work or residency abroad after provisional registration at a hospital approved by that country's regulator is acceptable (10). |
| BLS | Basic Life Support certification is mandatory for full registration (15). |
| NRE | Passing is mandatory for full registration (27). It is held at least twice a year with no limit on attempts. |
| Exemption | Certain standard postgraduate qualifications with a valid foreign licence in good standing (27(iv)) |
The Regulations define provisional registration as granted "to enable training and education prior to grant of full registration", and they place the NRE requirement at the full-registration stage. PM&DC's public statements in September and December 2025 describe the sequence differently for graduates of institutions not yet recognised, who are told to qualify through the NRE first. Treat the notice that applies to your intake year as final.
What the permanent licence says
The Regulations state that the permanent certificate permits the holder to treat common ailments and that the holder may not practise as a specialist until a postgraduate qualification is registered with the Council. A foreign graduate's provisional certificate describes the qualification as equivalent to MBBS (Pak) and tells the holder not to write "MBBS (Pak)" with their name. Use the title on your certificate in any signature, prescription pad or profile.
The fee schedule in the Regulations lists permanent registration at PKR 4,000 (listed for two years) and licence renewal at PKR 10,000 for five years. Fee schedules are revised, so confirm before paying.
A realistic timeline
The table below is an illustration based on the rules above. It is not a PM&DC schedule, and every step depends on notices, verification and hospital allocation.
| Stage | Typical elapsed time | Depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Step I preparation | 8 to 16 weeks | Your baseline and hours per week |
| Step I to result | About 3 to 5 weeks | PM&DC publication |
| Step II preparation and registration | 6 weeks plus the portal window | The next sitting date |
| Provisional registration | 14 days from verification | Your university's verification speed |
| House job | 12 months | Hospital places and module allocation |
| Full registration | After house job, NRE and BLS | Application processing |
Added up, the stages come to roughly 18 months or more from the start of preparation to full registration, and longer if an attempt fails or house job places are hard to find. That is arithmetic on the table above, not a PM&DC estimate. Planning for two sittings keeps expectations realistic.
Choose a pass for PMDC NRE Step I
Basic, Pro and Premium passes for 1, 3 or 6 months. One exam per pass, from $30, no auto-renewal.
Managing the five-year clock
The five-year validity of your Step I pass is easy to forget when you are waiting for a house job place or working abroad. Write the date of your theory pass in three places and compute the last date on which Step II must be passed. Then work backwards.
| Years since Step I pass | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1 | Register for the next Step II. Use the short window while your clinical knowledge is fresh. |
| 1 to 3 | You have room for one or two Step II sittings, including a repeat. Do not assume that the next sitting will be easy to reach. |
| 3 to 4 | Treat Step II as urgent. Three consecutive failures send you back to the full NRE, and that attempt must also fit inside the window. |
| 4 to 5 | Take the next available sitting. Ask PM&DC in writing what happens if you miss the window; the syllabus text we reviewed says Step II must be passed within five years of the theory pass. |
Working while you wait
Many candidates are in a gap: they have passed Step I, they are waiting for a Step II sitting, and they cannot start a house job until provisional registration is in place. Two uses of that time are worth it. First, keep clinical skills alive by shadowing or volunteering where the rules allow, but remember that Regulation 12(ii) means house job done before provisional registration does not count, so do not assume that informal clinical work will be credited. Second, practise Step II stations with a partner each week. Both are our suggestions.
Keep these records
- The Step I result sheet and the date of the theory pass.
- Step II registration and result documents.
- The provisional registration certificate.
- House job module completion letters, each module of three months or more.
- The BLS certificate and its validity date.
- All receipts and challans.
Start with the NRE Step I overview if you are still choosing a date, and with the pass mark guide if you want to understand a borderline result.
Frequently asked questions
When are NRE Step I results published?
On pmdc.pk, with detailed marks through the PM&DC online portal, usually three to five weeks after the paper in recent sittings. PM&DC does not guarantee a date.
What do I do after I pass Step I?
Register for Step II, the Clinical Skills Examination, when PM&DC opens the portal. You must pass Step II within five years of your Step I pass.
How many times can I retake NRE Step I?
As many times as you need. PM&DC states there is no bar on the number of attempts at the complete NRE.
What happens if I fail Step II?
You re-register for Step II only. After three consecutive Step II failures, your fourth attempt must be the full NRE, theory and clinical skills together.
How long is the house job for foreign graduates?
One year in a council-approved hospital, as four compulsory three-month modules: internal medicine, allied medicine, general surgery and allied surgery. Modules shorter than three months are not accepted.
Is Basic Life Support certification required?
Yes. The Registration Regulations 2023 make BLS certification mandatory for full registration.
Can I do the house job before passing the NRE?
For graduates of PM&DC-recognised institutions, the Regulations provide provisional registration so that the house job can begin, with the NRE required before full registration. For institutions not yet recognised, PM&DC's 2025 statements say the NRE comes first. Check the notice for your intake.
Can I ask for re-totalling of my result?
PM&DC states that re-totalling can be requested. The syllabus we reviewed does not describe a wider appeal process.
Who is exempt from the NRE?
Regulation 27(iv) exempts holders of certain standard postgraduate qualifications, such as MRCP, FRCS or an American Board diploma, or a Council-recognised level III qualification, who hold a valid foreign licence in good standing.
How long is my Step I pass valid?
Five years for the purpose of sitting Step II. The Clinical Skills Examination must be passed within five years of the theory pass.